All posts by LeAnna Magee

Having three sisters and three brothers, getting together with the family is quite a fun experience any time of year. It is a tradition of ours to all go cut down our own Christmas trees. With the seven siblings, each with their spouse and kids, we now have quite a group. Sometimes we go the day before Thanksgiving or a day or two after, depending on everyone’s schedule. We go and get our permits ahead of time so that we are ready bright and early in the morning.

With an early start, it is donuts and juice in the cars and trucks on the way up to the mountains. Once getting to the mountains, we suit up, as most of the time it is snowing and cold. It is so worth it. After searching for multiple trees – one for each family that goes and Mom and Dad’s – it is hours later when we break for lunch, which is usually sandwiches made from leftover turkey and some chips. After eating lunch, some return to tree hunting, while others play in the snow and some ride on ATV’s. Once all the trees are found and gathered, we get together at the cars and drink hot chocolate that was made early that morning to warm us up. Upon returning with our treasures to Mom and Dad’s, we diffuse a KidSafe blend and make clothespin diffusers or ornaments for the tree. One of the things that we will be diffusing this year is Sweet Goodness.

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Hello everyone, I am LeAnna Magee. I am a single mom of two amazing boys. We are a family that loves sports. One of us always has a game or practice to be played. I play on a coed softball team and bowl with a group of amazing ladies in a men’s league. My boys play soccer, basketball, and also bowl. If there was more time I know we would do more but there are only so many hours in the day. With an activity every day, sometimes two, we are very busy. When we are not participating in a sporting event, we are in the mountains camping and enjoying nature. We love to shoot and hike. I enjoy cooking but do not have a lot of time with our busy schedule. I also like to try to fix and install things on my own. As an aromatherapist, essential oils have become so important. The task of just picking 5 has been near impossible, but here goes.

My most favorite and go-to oil is Black Pepper, Piper nigrum. Being a sports family this helps with our discomfort after a long game; eases my achy joints as I am not a spring chicken anymore, but still love to play. We have found it great for those bruises when you catch the softball with your shin instead of your glove or your opponent uses your leg to kick instead of the soccer ball.

My 2nd choice is Spring Blossoms Synergy. This blend of oils is so uplifting and puts a spring in my step when I am feeling down or need a pick me up. Neroli, Orange Sweet, and Lime are a perfect combination to keep me going, during the long winter months when the only sport we can play where we live is bowling. We sometimes feel a little down when we want to get out, but can’t due to the weather. No recipe needed here, just diffuse.

Next is Helichrysum ItalicumHelichrysum italicum. This oil is great for so many things. It reduces the appearance of scars and playing sports all the time we end up with our share of bumps and bruises. It is also used for emotional feelings and to help boost immune function. I, as well as many others, struggle with just getting through some days and this is my go-to oil for this. It helps make me feel in control and empowered.

Another essential oil that is widely used in my house is Grapefruit Pink Citrus x paradisi. Some mornings after a short night, whether it is because of a late night game or some laundry that just has to be done by morning, I need a pick me up. I then turn to Grapefruit. It is so fresh and uplifting, this helps me get through my mornings and my co-workers are not on the end of my grouchiness due to lack of sleep.Ten drops in an aromatherapy inhaler and you are ready to go.

And last, but not least is Bergamot Citrus bergamia. This oil is calming and grounding; it helps when I have a lot going on and I just need to step back and assess what is most important. It helps me realize that teenage boys will be boys and they are not always going to have perfect grades and make the best decisions, but they too, are learning and growing. I refer to this oil as my mental wellness oil. This oil can also help with those sore, tired muscles that we feel after a long day of sports. It is such a great and diverse oil.

I could list so many more oils but we are limited to 5 in this article. There are always so many new oils and products that Plant Therapy comes out with all the time, but I find these few simple oils my go-to oils to keep my household going and happy. Being a Certified Aromatherapist at Plant Therapy and working with our great staff and customers is a great blessing every day. Being able to share a few oils with you has been a joy. I hope they will help you as they have helped me and my boys.

Stay tuned for more of our Aromatherapists’ Top 5 Picks!

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My first assignment when I started working at Plant Therapy was to test diffusers as I did not yet have a computer to work on. I really knew nothing about them. I sorted through a very large pile of diffusers and organized them by brand and style. That night at home I got online to do some research on them.

The definition of diffusion is “the spreading of something more widely”. “The natural process in which the atoms, molecules or ions of different substances intermix due to their spontaneous random motion”. (4)

There are various ways of diffusing essential oils, some of which I will address. Nebulizers, Ultrasonic diffusers, room sprays, aromatherapy jewelry, steam inhalation, personal inhalers, and passive diffusions such as our Lil Stinkers or a simple tissue.

The nebulizer is the most powerful of all and what I found myself to be working with and testing on my first project. With this diffuser you get a continuous and constant flow of essential oil. A 10 ml bottle attaches directly to the diffuser. A jet of air blowing across a small tube creates a vacuum that pulls the oil from the bottle through a tube. The air blowing at the top of the tube blows the oil in a fine mist or spray. This type of diffusion puts the whole oil into the air in the form of tiny droplets. You don’t need heat or water with this diffuser. Be sure to take a look at Plant Therapy’s Advanced Aromatherapy Diffuser.

The ultrasonic diffuser is almost the same as the nebulizer in that it also produces a fine mist, but this one uses water. This unit emits electronic frequencies to cause a small disk under the surface of the liquid (usually water) to vibrate at a very fast rate. These ultrasonic vibrations break the essential oil(s) into tiny microparticles, dispersing the oil in a fine mist. These tiny particles are more easily absorbed by the lungs for a greater therapeutic effect on the body, mind, and spirit. This unit doubles as a humidifier as it uses water. The AromaFuse Diffuser is one of our most popular diffusers.

Room sprays are another way to get essential oils into the air. Simply fill a 4 oz spray bottle with water and/or witch hazel, adding 9 drops of essential oil for every 1 ounce of liquid. Remember that essential oils and water do not mix well, so shake well before using. This is a 1% dilution; to get a 2% dilution use 18 drops of oil per ounce of water. This needs to be stored in a PET bottle or glass bottle as over time essential oils will deteriorate plastic. PET plastics are safe and approved for use with essential oils. If using water, you will also need to add a preservative such as Optiphen Plus if you won’t be using it within a few days.

Diffuser Necklaces are straightforward in their application. Apply 1 to 2 drops of oil on the necklace pad, wood bead, etc. The oils are near the face, they evaporate and you inhale the molecules as the evaporation process takes place. Diffusers that you wear around your neck can be beautiful and functional.

With a tissue, you just put a drop or two on the tissue and keep it near you. You can tuck it in the vent of your car or hold it close to your nose. It needs to be refreshed every hour. The cost is very little and requires no equipment. Plant Therapy also carries a line of Lil’ Stinkers, which are plush pals for the children to use.

Using essential oils in these ways – by passive diffusion, is one of the quickest methods to disburse aromatic molecules. With this method, the oils evaporate very quickly and the aroma will not stay very long as it will not reach very far. This is great if you are trying to keep the oils in your personal space when traveling on a plane, or in your work space at that office.

I also learned about steam inhalation and personal inhalers. Steam inhalation is a method of introducing warm, moist air into lungs via the nose and throat for therapeutic benefits. This is a method for treating respiratory issues. Heating water in a bowl then adding 1 drop of essential oil and putting a towel over your head while breathing in the mist from the bowl is one way of using steam inhalation.

A personal inhalerdelivers scent into the body via the lungs. Inhalation is an effective method of use for essential oils so a personal inhaler is very convenient as they are portable. This is a much more concentrated inhalation application than just putting a drop on a tissue, or in a room diffuser. They are in a protective shell so there is very little evaporation of essential oil and they have a very long shelf life.

“It is not advisable to directly and intensively inhale essential oils for longer than 15-20 minutes, such as with steam inhalation. However, this does not apply to ambient inhalation from essential oils vaporized into the air. If you are diffusing essential oils, it is safer to do this intermittently than constantly, all day long. Ideally, diffuse essential oils for 30-60 minutes. This is not only safer, but it’s also more effective as both our bodies and our nervous system habituate to essential oils after this period. Whenever you are using or diffusing essential oils, some air exchange (fresh air) is advisable.” (3)

When an essential oil is inhaled, the odor travels up the nose to where they are trapped by olfactory membranes. They are then carried to the limbic system. From the limbic system, odor messages are sent to the other parts of the brain like the pituitary, pineal, and amygdala. They also travel to the body stimulating the autonomic nervous system, endocrine system, organ functions, secretions of antibodies, hormones and enzymes throughout the body. Smell is the only sense that goes directly to the limbic system. The oils are great for helping and regulating mood. (2)

When choosing essential oils to diffuse there are many things to consider; smell, strength of aroma, properties of the oils and what you are looking for them to assist you with.

All essential oils are not meant to be diffused. Some of the oils are considered unsafe for use around children. Some of the hot oils can be irritating to the mucous membrane at any age and caution should be used when diffusing. Plant Therapy was one of the first companies to develop a KidSafe® line of essential oils. Robert Tisserand, author of Essential Oil Safety worked with us to formulate these oils that are safe for kids ages 2-10. (1)

In conclusion, there are many types of diffusers that can be used and I do not think that there is a right or wrong diffuser to use. The circumstances and personal preference will influence which diffuser you choose. In the office, we try to use personal inhalers as there are some that are allergic or can react adversely to certain oils. On occasion, we will diffuse the oils in an ultrasonic diffuser or nebulizer keeping in mind others at the workplace. Because I have children at home, I am very careful of the oils that I diffuse. I diffuse only when needed to avoid overexposure. Everyone’s situation is different so there are different times and places to use each of the discussed diffusers. Learning about diffusers and oils over the past three years has been very helpful in keeping my family safe when diffusing. Happy diffusing!

"Our ultimate goal is not to be the largest essential oil company; it is to positively impact the lives of as many people as humanly possible. Ultimately, we feel this is possible only by providing our customers with an exceptional experience that keeps them coming back. By selling such a high quality product at an affordable price, we not only positively affect the lives of our customers, it also gives us the financial means by which we can help those who are less fortunate to live a happier, healthier, and more productive life." – Chris Jones, President of Plant Therapy Inc.